Subsidy Removal: Taraba Govt Moves To Control Food Price

Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture has initiated a move to reduce the price of foodstuffs that recently skyrocketed as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government. 

The commissioner for agriculture and food security, Prof Oliver Namessah who met with the members of the Food Produce Association (FPAT) at the weekend said Governor Agbu Kefas had rolled out plans to assist the farmers to check the high cost of food items. 

He said the government had procured tractors and fertiliser as well as other farm inputs and seedlings to be distributed to the farmers across the three geopolitical zones of the state at subsidised rate.  

Namessah said one of the most important things the government considered best for the farmers was provision of security for all the farmers in the state to guarantee their safety during rainy and dry season farming.   

The commissioner further said the meeting was aimed at  looking at the manner in which the masses are struggling to cope with the present economic hardship and solicited cooperation and understanding from the association to make life bearable for the people. 

He expressed the determination of the government to work with the association to control the food price hike and also ensure that the incentives if provided by the government could get to the appropriate farmers. 

LEADERSHIP recalls that a few days ago, women in Jalingo took to the streets in protest against the sharp increase in the prices of food items which has caused untold hardship to the people of the state.

LEADERSHIP findings during market survey showed that a bag of maize was N55,000 as against N23,000 two months ago while a bag of rice wasN46,000 as against N 15,000 at Abari Market in Lau local government area of the state.